Aug 7, 2009

California budget squabble continues

The California budget battle isn't over yet.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said today he will sue Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to restore about $489 million in cuts made after a budget agreement was reached. Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto authority to slash funding from health and welfare programs.

Steinberg's office sent out the following statement:

“We elected a governor, not an emperor. In making these line item vetoes the Governor forced punishing cuts on children, the disabled and patients that he couldn’t win fairly at the bargaining table. And in doing so, he overstepped his constitutional authority.”

The Sacramento Bee got this response from the governor's office:

"Because the legislature failed to send him a balanced budget after months of debate the Governor was forced to make these difficult cuts. While Democrats are focused on a protracted legal battle to dig the state back into deficit the Governor will continue to focus on moving our state forward and getting Californians back to work."